Foot-bath.



PATENTED JULY 4, 190".

J. L. KERSTETTER.

FOOT BATE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2e. 1905.

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@Wi/immo as ltliuirhn @maries Patented Iuly il, i905.,

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ltlirrieiv'r JAMES LUTHER KERSTEITER, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THERMAL FOOT BATH COMPANY, OlI1 BltADFOliD, PENNSYLVANIA.

@PECIFCATXON forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,096, dated J'uly t, '1905.

Application filed January 26, 1905. Serial No, 242,728.

To (LU when?, 'n1/(ty crm/ecru:

Be it known that l, Janes Lernen lilians'rnrrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bradford, in the county oi McKean and 5 tritate or' Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Foot-Bath, of which the following' is a specification.

'.lhe invention relates to improvements in foot-baths.

io ',lhe object of the present invention is to improve the construction of foot-bath apparatus and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and eiiicient device designed,primarily, V["or treating feet Yfor various ailmentssuch as I5 rheumatism, gout, and the like -and adapted to ailier-d dry, wet, and vapor baths and capable ot' enabling' medicated vapor to be applied to the feet orl a person while the pores are open and not lilled with water.

2o A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which will enable the heat to be readily controlled and to be entirely removed temporarily or `permanently without necessitating' the re- 2 5 moval oi the `feet o1 the bather from the apparatus.

- Another object oil the invention is to provide an oscillatory tub or receptacle adapted to be rocked by the feet el" the bather to agitate the water and throw the saine back and forth over the Vfeet and provided with an automatically-oscillating heating' device adapted to oscillate with the tub or receptacle to keep the heat beneath the volume of liquid within the tub or receptacle and to distribute the heat uiiilformly over the bottom o1 the latter and to increase the ilame and the consequent heating power ol the heating device.

f lhe invention also has for its object to pro- 40 vide a 'toot-bath apparatus adapted to be compactly arranged lor shippingl or storing.

'WV ith these and other objects .in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts 1.5 hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompz'mying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being' understood that various changes in the iorm, proportion, sixe, and minor details of construetion within the scope oi the claims n'iay be 50 resorted to without departing' from the spirit or sacrilicing any oi the advantages ol the invention.

ln the drawings, ,Figure l is a perspective view of a foot-bath apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. liig. 4 isa reverse plan view o'l` a portion oi the top of the oscillatory tub or receptacle, illustrating the arrangement of the recesses which form leg-receiving openings.

lliike numerals oi reference designate corresponding parts in all the ligures of the drawings. 65

l designates an oscillatory tub or receptacle constructed, preferably, oi sheet metal and provided at its bottom with transversely-disposed sockets 2, arranged near the front and back ot the tub or receptacle at each side thereof and detachably receiving rockers rlhe rockers, which are designed to be removed and placed within the tub or receptacle when it is desired to ship or store the same, are constructed of rod metal and consist oiE curved bottom portions and upwardly-extending end portions, which are provided at their tops with horimntally-projecting arms i :for engaging the sockets Q. The sockets, which may be oil any desired construction, are prei- SO erably formed by plates bent between their ends to provide the sockets and secured at their end portions to the bottom by any suitable means.

The sides of the tub or receptacle are preierably tapered toward the Vlj'ront of the apparatus, the Front wall being shorter than the rear wall. llhe top oi. the tub or receptacle is `formed by a hinged `liront section or lid 5 and a rigid rear section (i, provided at their adjacent edges with opposite amiroximately semicircular recesses 7 and i5, Yforming a pair olE substantially elliptical leg-receiving openings. The rear section is secured within the receptacle at the upper edges of the side and back walls by screws or other suitable tastening devices, and the lid or front section is pivoted to the sides near its front end by opposite screws 9 or other suitable fastening' devices. The hinged section or lid is provided at opposite sides near its rear end with substantially L-shaped plates 10, having depending outer portions arranged to engage the sides of the tub or receptacle for limiting the downward movement of the said lid or section 5. The upper face of the rear section 6 and the upper face of the rear portion of the lid 5 are covered with strips or pieces 11 and 12 of fabric or other flexible material, which extend over the said recesses and which are provided at their adjacent transverse edges with hems or casing's 13 and 14, having elastic strips or cords adapted to yieldably and automatically engage the legs of the bather, whereby the fabric is held closely around the same to prevent the liquid contents of the tub or receptacle from splashing' out when the apparatus is rocked or oscillated.

T ithin the tub or receptacle is arranged a foot-support 15, consisting' of transverse slats 16, suitably secured to side bars 1T and receiving a removable sheet-metal plate or false bottom 18. The sheet-metal plate or false bottom is adapted to shield the feet of the bather from the direct heat generated by a heating device 19, and it serves to distribute or diffuse the heat throughout the tub or receptacle. The false bottom may be removed, if desired.

The apparatus is designed for dry, wet, and vapor baths, which may be medicated or otherwise, and the heating device preferably consists of an alcohol-burner mounted on an oscillatory support 20, consisting of a horizontal pivotal portion 2Oll and a depending substantially L-shaped portion extending downward from one side of the tub or receptacle and inward beneath the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The oscillatory support is provided at the inner side of the transverse pivot with an upwardly-extending arm 21, terminating in a grip or handle 22, adapted to be grasped by the operator for oscillating theheating device independently of the tub or receptacle or for removing the heating device from the apparatus. The tub or receptacle is provided with a bearing 23, consisting of a pair of spring-jaws for yieldably holding the pivot 20, The pivot 2OIL is adapted to be readily placed in and removed from the bearing 23 and is provided adjacent to the same with an annular flange 24, extending into a groove or recess 25, whereby the pivot is held against movement laterally of the apparatus. The top of the tub or receptacle is also provided near the outer portion of the pivot 20 with a stop 26, located at the lower or front side of the pivot. Then the tub or receptacle is oscillated, the heating device will be automatically oscillated, and if the tub or receptacle be tilted forwardly the heating device will swing forwardly and will be beneath the greater portion of the liquid contents of the apparatus. This will protect the feet of the bather and will insure a uniform heating of the tub or receptacle. Furthermore, the oscillation of the heating device will increase the size of the flame, and conseq uently the heating power of the said device. The heating device may be placed within the tub or receptacle to arrange it out of the way when the apparatus is to be stored or shipped.

The rear wall of the tub or receptacle is provided with an opening, and it has a liange 27 projecting outwardly therefrom and receiving a removable cover 28, adapted to be taken off to permit the arm to be placed within the tub or receptacle for treatment.

Then the lid or hinged section is raised, the feet may be readily placed within the tub or receptacle, and when the lid is closed the separable pieces of iexible material will be drawn tightly around the legs to prevent the water from splashing out.

Then the apparatus is employed for medicated-vapor baths, the foot-support will hold the feet out of contact with the liquid, so that the pores of the skin will not be submerged and closed by the liquid, but will be open to receive the medicated vapor. Also in using the apparatus for vapor-baths the heating' device may be oscillated by the bather to bring the heat directly beneath any portion of the feet.

Then the lid or hinged section is closed on the legs of the bather, the separable pieces of ieXible material will be drawn tightly around the legs to prevent the water splashing out. Thile the flexible pieces will prevent any water splashing out of the tub or receptacle, the Hexible pieces are designed mainly for the purpose of retaining the heat and vapor generated while the legs are in the bath. Furthermore, the temperature of the foot-bath increases instead of decreasing, as with the ordinary foot-bath, and the heat is entirely in the control of the bather.

Having thus fully described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus ofthe class described, comprising a receptacle having a sectional top provided with opposite recesses forming independent leg-receiving apertures, separable pieces of material mounted on the sections of the top and extending over the leg-receiving openings for retaining heat and vapor within the receptacle and provided at their adjacent edges with elastic strips arranged to automatically and yieldably clamp the flexible material around the legs of a bather.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprisinga receptacle having a sectional top pro- IOO vided with opposite recesses 'forming independent leg-receiving apertures, separable pieces ol .lexible material covering the recesses for retaining heat and vapor within the receptacle and havingstraight contiguous edges provided with elastic strips arranged to automatically stretch and clamp the ilexible material around the legs olI a bather.

3. lin apparatus or the class described, com prising a movable receptacle, and an independently-movable heating device actuated by the movement ot' the receptacle.

4E. lin apparatus ol" the class described, coinprising an oscillatory tub or receptacle, and an oscillatory heating device extended Afrom the tub or receptacle and arranged to be aetuated by the same and also movable independently thereof.

5. flic apparatus ot' theelass described, coniprising an oscillatory tub or receptacle provided with rockers, an oscillatory support provided with a transverse pivot mounted on the tub or receptacle, and a heating device carried by the oscillatory support.

(i. lin apparatus o'll the class described, coinprising an oscillatory tub or receptacle, rockers consisting' el bottoni portions and terminal arnhs secured to the receptacle, an oscilla tory support mounted on the receptacle and extending downward at one side oi: the same and through the adjacent rocker, and a heat- .ing device carried by the oscillatory support.

7. An apparatus oil the class described, comprising an oscillatory tub or receptacle provided wtlr removable rockers, and an oscillatory support detachably mounted on the tub or receptacle and provided with a heating detra alla vice, said support and rockers being arranged to be placed within the receptacle when not in use.

8. lin apparatus et the class described, comprising an oscillatory receptacle consisting` of an oscillatory support comprising a transverse pivot arranged upon the receptacle, a substantially t.shaped portion depending from the outer end of the pivot and extending beneath the receptacle, and a handle extending troni the inner end oll the pivot, and a heating device carried by the said ll shaped portion.

t). ln an apparatus olI the class described,the combination et an oscillatory receptacle provided at the top with an open resilient bearW ing and having a recess, and an oscillatory support carrying a heating device and provided with a pivot, said pivot being'arranged within the .said bearing and having a flange projecting into the recess.

10. A toot-bath apparatus, comprising an oscillatory tub or receptacle provided with de# pending rochers, and a heating device arranged beneath the tub or receptacle between the rockers and having' a rod extending outwardly and upwardly and lnovided with a handle portion arranged within reach ol the bather.

ln testimony that il claim the foregoing as my own AI have hereto al'lixed my signature in the presence oit two witnesses.

J Allllub l 1U T l UG lly .ll lllll'lll'll'llil ll. l/Vitnesses:

16pm-inn (fl. )ir/inercia, L. W. OAKns. 

